Something nice in the end

Even though the project did not end up where I wanted it to, in the end I got a nice little compensation from LEGO.

Of course, I am talking about the LEGO Cuusoo mini ATLAS model adventure. After they turned down my project, I got to choose three sets from their current catalogue. And here they are …

IMG_20140301_124731

It had to one for the little one, it had to be the Simpsons’ house that just came out and it had to be a Cuusoo set. Well maybe the Cuusoo set was not obligatory. It might well have been the monstrous Death Star set, but then again the Mars Rover is quite cool ;)

Here’s some pictures from the finished Simpsons’ House and the Mars Rover …

Nobel bricks

2014-02-21 11-54-36 LEGO signatureThough I unfortunately missed today’s event leading to the left part of the image,
this now complete set makes me a very happy physicist :)

I might get some more pictures later, but this one itself is already quite nice.
Both pieces will end up in the nice new glass casing we got for the ATLAS LEGO model in the ATLAS Visitors Center at Point 1 at CERN.

 

Pushing the bricks to the limit

2014-02-17 17-36-19 LEGO ChallengeBesides the usual overload on work during stays at CERN, this week was kinda special. It was about 250.000 pieces of LEGO more special than any other week before.
With the help of more than 20 volunteers (thanks a lot to everyone), I was counting, weighing, sorting and packing pieces in the mornings and late evenings. I guess I only had breakfast and dinner twice this week. Anyways, people are in fact still sorting while I am writing this piece at the Geneva airport.

It’s been quite fun, frustrating, enjoyable, social and many more things at the same time. Unfortunately LEGO decided to send the pieces, for the 23 models I ordered, with a safety margin added after multiplying instead of before. Hmm?!

2014-02-17 17-39-47 LEGO ChallengeIn addition we also miss quite a few pieces, but these are all things to be sorted out next week. And even with the pieces missing for now, I guess we start making institutes happy by end of next week. Once done I will update the by now quite impressive ATLAS model statistics. There will be 59 models out in the open by then. *happy*

I will post a few pictures and prepare a time-lapse movie of the event during the coming days (which I guess will be busy as well *unhappy*).

Fun(ny) fact about apartments

In fact it’s actually a sad fact to some extend, but anyways.

It’s been a while since I’ve been looking for apartments and I though Copenhagen was the extreme case I’d never have to face again.  So much for what I was thinking … back in reality I found myself looking for apartments in Munich. While the apartment we have in Copenhagen (as nice as it is) already put quite some weight on my wallet, the ones available (not necessary to us particularly, but general spoken) in Munich can yet trump the current situation.


PlanMunich

Besides the whole pricing issue, there is a fun(ny) difference in style of apartments between Copenhagen and Munich. While it was not too easy to find an apartment in Copenhagen that had a bathroom that could fit two people at the same time or where you could take a shower that does not cover the whole room in water, this seems extremely easy in Munich. on the contrary I am slowly getting annoyed by the fact that seemingly all the apartment (even small ones) in Munich have in fact a second bathroom, some of the even two bath tubs. I appreciate the luxury, but do not exactly see the need why a three-room apartment for a couple or small family should waste spend precious and expensive square meters on a second shower/toilet.

Other countries, other customs. I guess …

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